Elden Ring players have found a number of hidden files in the game that relate to cut content and unused items scrapped during development. One of these files contains a rather strange set of underwear. Another reportedly contains what could be a bestiary that was later removed from the game.
Twitter user JesterPatches was recently combing through game files when they discovered a number of unused icons depicting NPCs from Elden Ring. There are 64 unique icons in the files, each showing a different NPC. They all have two variants – one illuminated, and one greyed out, indicating players may have been able to ‘unlock’ some form of bestiary entry after meeting (or defeating) each character.
Read: Elden Ring players find forbidden underwear in game files
JesterPatches noted icons ranged from ‘regular soldiers, [nobles], to animals, demi-humans, even Godskins’ as well as a few they did not recognise. No major bosses were found in the icon set, although a large pigeon and a creepy-looking dog are included.
Nothing more is known about the unused icon set – but it’s certainly turned heads. The inclusion of a bestiary in the game would have been a fun way to encourage players to find and conquer every boss. In the same way that Pokemon‘s Pokedex allows players to fill out a vast book by marking their monster encounters, the Elden Ring bestiary may have allowed players to track their progress via enemy defeats in the game’s gnarly world.
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A bestiary may also have presented the opportunity to learn more about the lore of the game.
Elden Ring doesn’t tend to explain much about its beastly encounters, with players left to ruminate about each eldritch monster they come across. The mystery does provide a sense of curiosity and fascination, but having a bestiary could certainly have helped illuminate more about the Lands Between and its denizens.
As players continue to explore ‘behind-the-scenes’ of Elden Ring, there’s no doubt more secrets will be uncovered. With such a vast game, there may even be in-game secrets that have yet to be found. Only time will tell, as players journey further into the darker parts of the game.
